By Ian Swanson and Walter Alarkon,The Hill
Obama cuts funding for putting illegals in jail
President Obama voted in the Senate to provide additional funding for a program targeted for elimination by his budget that provides states a federal subsidy to offset the costs of jailing illegal immigrants.
Killing the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAPP) would save $400 million,according to Obama’s budget for fiscal 2010 released Thursday. It’s one of the largest non-defense discretionary cuts proposed in the president’s budget.
The program is popular with border-state politicians on Capitol Hill,however,making its elimination a tough sell to lawmakers,particularly from California.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has repeatedly pushed for additional funding for the program,and lawmakers from other states that have costs associated with illegal aliens have also offered support.